Many construction companies rely on word-of-mouth referrals to build their business. And while these referrals and relationships are incredibly valuable, they have a limit. Learning how to market your construction business can give your business the boost it needs to reach the next level. When it comes to marketing for construction companies, incorporating additional channels like social media, PPC, SEO, and email marketing alongside your word-of-mouth referrals can lead to more consistent lead generation.

So how do you develop a marketing plan for a construction company?

Understand who your target market is

Understanding and addressing common customer problems or challenges throughout the buyer's journey is critical to developing a strong strategy that speaks to the right people at the right time, who are ready to take on your services. 

Look into your past customers, where they are, what they were looking for, and why they came to you. You can reach out to them for this information, and even ask for testimonials to use later on. The data you collect here will allow you to better target future customers. 

Another useful tool for defining your target market is pinpointing a list of dream clients. Create a list of the top ten companies or client types you’d most like to work with, and be sure to include their pain points and interests to inform your analysis.

Crafting quality messaging

Once you’ve defined and understood the needs and pain points of your target audience, you can move on to crafting your messaging. Define three to four pillars for your communications that reflect the things your customers are looking for. If being a local is a point of interest for your customers, you can begin here. Highlighting things like your commitment to quality and knowledge of specific areas in your content marketing can help your customers trust your brand.

If your business is focused on sustainability, this can be a great thing to include in your communications. The current climate is increasingly aware of decreasing its carbon footprint, and many customers are prioritising products and services that can lead to a greener lifestyle. Communicating your sustainability efforts can lead to greater reach and a wider customer base, meaning more sales for your business. 

Look at your foundation

Before you begin any marketing campaigns, it’s important to ensure that your foundation is strong. This means having a quality website and established social platforms with clear contact details. There’s no point crafting an amazing campaign if your customers don’t know how to reach you. 

If you have yet to develop a website, partnering with an external agency that can help with development, and strong local search engine optimisation (SEO) like Mo Works can streamline the process, ensuring you get a quality site with minimal hassle. If a website is something you aren’t yet ready to commit to, it could be that you begin by setting up strong profiles on social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. 

If you’re looking primarily at residential customers, Instagram will be a great option for social media marketing, whereas commercial leads are more likely to come from LinkedIn. The platforms you choose to market from will depend on your target audience, which brings us back to ensuring you have a strong understanding of your market. Speaking to them on platforms they are already on will mean they are more likely to get your message. 

Advertise your strengths!

Once you have crafted your messaging and planned out where you will be speaking to your customers, you can begin crafting ad and social campaigns. This is where you bring together everything you’ve discovered about your target and combine it with your unique offerings in clear, concise, engaging communications. 

A lead magnet can boost your campaigns exponentially. By offering your customers something they want, whether it be a free consultation, no obligation quote, product or service demo, or discount on your services, you increase the likelihood that potential customers will engage with your ads, and convert to a sale. 

Be sure that you’re giving your customers real value based on their wants and needs, and not just communicating what you think they want. 

Start selling

Once you’ve set up your site, communications strategy, and campaigns, you can start selling more effectively. Call the leads that come through your ads and website, send pitches via email, and look into automated EDMs, these can help to streamline the process of contacting your potential clients. Your external team can help with this, building the relationship and giving them the information they need, meaning you only contact customers ready to engage with your services. 

Your external team could include a content and editorial manager, campaign or performance manager, strategist, and designer. In the end, you are the primary salesperson of your company. Hiring an agency as an extension of your business can support long-term business growth, while you focus on your construction projects.

Looking to grow your business? You’re in the right place. Let’s work together.